Chapter 1: I'll take Care of You

The night was crisp, cold, and only a faint whisper of wind lead the night. The rickety old mansion at Twelve Grimmauld Place held two and only two occupants that night: Hermione Granger was about to discover the reason for her recent impulse to constantly be with Sirius Black. Sirius knew why ever since the moment he had met her again three years ago in the Shrieking Shack. He was only waiting for the right time to tell her; and tonight was it. Hermione stood by an open window looking out over the black moonlit hill as the white curtains frequently brushed across her troubled face.

"Are you okay?" said Sirius from the doorway across the dark empty lounge in which Hermione lingered. Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him.

"Oh, Sirius. I didn't hear you come in," Hermione said, forcing a smile onto her face in hopes that it was convincing. Sirius stepped into the room all the way, leaving the door halfway open as it was.

"You want to tell me what's been bothering you so much lately?" Sirius said crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Hermione looked down, around the room, and anywhere but at Sirius as she turned slightly pink.

"Oh, its nothing. Really." Hermione said, scratching her shoulder and finally glancing at him briefly. Sirius chuckled softly.

"Oh, Hermione, really. No matter how much you hate to hear it, you have to admit you are rather stubborn when it comes to accepting help from people," Sirius said, raising an eyebrow at her and brushing away a lock of his long dark hair that had found its way in front of his eye. Hermione didn't say anything. She knew he was right. But how could she say it? "And plus," Sirius continued. "You never listen to me when I talk to you lately. When I try to look at you you look away--"

"Sirius, listen," Hermione said, cutting him off and looking away. Sirius shut his mouth immediately and looked at her desolately. "Sirius, something keeps happening with me. Something strange and wrong, I…" Sirius just watched her patiently, waiting for her thoughts to come. "…I have these… these feelings… when I'm near you, I feel like we've had something before. Like you…" she paused again, trembling Sirius took a step towards her, intending to comfort her. She looked up and their eyes met. "Like you've loved me, before." There was a long pause where they stared at each other, Hermione wavering and waiting while Sirius attempted to understand what she had just said.

"Oh, Hermione," Sirius muttered under his breath as he strode towards her, his pace quickening every step until he reached her and embraced her in an intimate hug. "Hermione, I must tell you something and you have to forgive me for keeping it from you for so long," Sirius muttered in her ear. He ran his hand down her arm very tenderly although she still gave a little jolt of surprise. Sirius hushed her and pulled her firmly but gently more directly in front of him.

"Hold my hand," Sirius whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes slowly as he slid his hand down her arm. There was a pause before Hermione's infatuated self did as he told her and grasped his hand tightly. "When I was seventeen a girl was sent back in time to my time, during my seventh year at Hogwarts," Sirius started. "She, she was magnificent and I …"

"Who was she?" Hermione asked suddenly. Sirius looked at her for a long while until he opened his mouth slightly and then closed it again. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I… oh she… no one," Sirius said quickly, looking away. Hermione turned him firmly to look at her again.

"Why won't you tell me? Do I know her?" Hermione asked, a tint of anger in her voice at him for bringing it up in the first place and not completing the story. Sirius looked down at her beautiful brown eyes and couldn't stand to see them fill with tears.

"No," Sirius said finally. "You don't know her," he said. Hermione looked away disappointed.

"Well then how does it have to do with me?" Hermione asked stubbornly. Sirius

hesitated momentarily.

"I—I—it doesn't," Sirius said dejectedly. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry," Sirius said, pulling away from her arms and turning and heading for the exit from the room.

"Sirius, I didn't mean it like that, I just--" but Sirius had already left. Hermione sighed and lay down on the green, leather couch in the middle of the room. She felt bad for making him feel unheard but he truly was overreacting. She had every right to be angry at him for leaving her on a cliff after beginning an obviously memorable story if it had stuck with him this long. Hermione sighed again and rolled over onto her back and dozed off into a deep sleep.

The next morning Hermione awoke to the feeling of sunbeams shining over her and in her face. Not quite taking notice of the face that the sun never shines at Twelve Grimmauld Place, she received a great and unpleasant shock at the sound of Madam Pomfrey.

"Mr. Lupin would you mind removing your two irritating and bothersome friends from my hospital wing, please?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey, sorry. Guys let's go," Lupin said

"But, I found her. I should be able to stay," said an annoyed voice just as Hermione's eyes flew open and she sat up. It took a moment for her to register what she saw; Madame Pomfrey and the marauders staring down at her on her bed in the hospital wing. But the moment it did register her heart began beating incredibly fast and she was nearly hyperventilating.

"Mr. Black, get some water, immediately!" Said Madam Pomfrey, completely forgetting her last words about the boys leaving. Sirius moved quickly, grabbing an empty boal and muttering aguamenti, filling it immediately with ice cold water and handing it to Madam Pomfrey.

"It's all right, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, dabbing Hermione's neck with a rag soaked in the water as she looked around frightfully at the young marauders. What had happened? She was just at Twelve Grimmauld Place only moments ago so how did she get here? Her breathing finally began to die down although her eyes were still just as wide if not more so then before.

"Why am I here now?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"Oh so you've been to Hogwarts before then?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yes of course I go here! But during MY time! Not yours I…. I need to speak to Dumbledore now---"

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is on vacation, my dear. If you like I can send for him about an urgent matter…" Madam Pomfrey offered.

"No, no, nevermind. It's all right. I'll… I'll just wait. Do you know what's happened to me?" Hermione asked Madame Pomfrey.

"I'm afraid you've been sent back in time twenty years," said a voice from the doorway just entering. It was a much younger looking Professor McGonagall "I actually have already informed Dumbledore of this matter. He told me to leave you in – erm, the care of the 'marauders', until he returned. That's these boys here," she said gesturing towards the four boys sitting all around the room. "They're James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. They will take care of you." All the boys muttered hellos and James waved and Sirius stood up.

"Oh, we certainly will," he said, walking over to her and reaching out a hand. "Sirius Black," he said. Hermione held out hers.

"Hermione Granger," she said forcing a smile upon her face.

"You'll be all right, while you're here, Hermione. I'll take care of you," Sirius said grinning as his flipped a lock of his dark black hair away from his eye, sending chills up Hermione's spine. This couldn't be happening, Hermione thought. This shouldn't be happening. Should it?